Private company

K-R-I-T Motor Car Company

Logo: K-R-I-T Motor Car Company, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons3

Former american car manufacturer 1909 to 1916

K-R-I-T (or simply "Krit") was a small automobile manufacturing company (1909–1916) based in Detroit, Michigan.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1909Founded1
  • Industryautomotive industry1
  • HeadquartersDetroit1
1913 K-R-I-T "KT" 5-Passenger Touring (1419205160)
Photo: brewbooks from near Seattle, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

K-R-I-T (or simply "Krit") was a small automobile manufacturing company (1909–1916) based in Detroit, Michigan.2

The story

Krit Motor Car Company's name probably originated from Kenneth Crittenden, who provided financial backing and helped design the cars. The emblem of the cars was a swastika (a symbol that was not yet associated with Nazism, Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, or antisemitism) which was popular at the time.

Krit occupied two different sites during its history: the first one it took over from the Blomstrom car, and in 1911 moved to the works that had been used by R. M. Owen & Company who had moved to become Owen Magnetic.

In 1911 the KRIT Motor Company was purchased by Walter S Russel of the Russel Wheel and Foundry Company.

The cars were conventional 4-cylinder models and many were exported to Europe and Australia. In 1913 a six-cylinder car was introduced and Krit tried to increase sales by engineering cars for other marques. The outbreak of World War I seriously damaged the company and it failed in 1915. A few cars were subsequently assembled from remaining parts.

From Wikipedia’s article on K-R-I-T Motor Car Company, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • car

Listed on Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1916Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1909Founded Founded1